Generally endoscopes are instruments for visualizing the interior of a human body and typically comprise a flexible or rigid outer tube having a lens at the distal end of the tube. Positioned within the tube are steering components and other components that transmit a signal to and from the lens. One of the disadvantages of currently available endoscopes is their expense, which is due in part to the extensive hand labor involved in their construction by the serial assembly of numerous small components. The cost of each of the numerous components wherein each component has a single function, also contributes to the expense of the endoscopes which in turn effectively reduces the feasibility of discarding the endoscope after a single use. Because the endoscopes are not disposable, they must be made of a material that withstands repeated cleanings and must be sealed so that unwanted materials are not transferred from one patient to another. While reusable endoscopes are currently available, they require frequent costly repairs and are expensive to clean and maintain.
Another disadvantage of currently available endoscopes is their relatively large size, which limits access to particular areas in a patient and contributes to the physical discomfort experienced by a patient during manipulation of the endoscope. Although efforts to reduce endoscope size have been made, they have met with limited success. Therefore it would be desirable to design smaller endoscopes, which may also be produced inexpensively, so that it would be economically feasible to have “disposable” endoscopes, which could be used once and then discarded.
Efforts have been made to produce small endoscopes economically. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,396 issued Sep. 27, 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,757 issued Nov. 19, 1996 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,910 issued Sep. 25, 2001. In each of these patents endoscopes are described that contain various components, each having a single distinct function.